Despite progress in fighting undernutrition, Africa has the highest rates of undernutrition globally, exacerbated by drought and conflict. Mobile phones are emerging as a tool for rapid, cost effective data collection at scale in Africa, as mobile phone subscriptions and phone ownership increase at the highest rates globally. To assess the feasibility and biases of collecting nutrition data via computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) to mobile phones, we measured Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) and Minimum Acceptable Diet for Infants and Young Children (MAD) using a one-week test-retest study on 1,821 households in Kenya. Accuracy and bias were assessed by comparing individual scores and population prevalence of undernutrition collected via CATI with data collected via traditional face-to-face (F2F) surveys. We were able to reach 75% (n = 1366) of study participants via CATI. Women’s reported nutrition scores did not change with mode for MDD-W, but children’s nutrition scores were significantly higher when measured via CATI for both the dietary diversity (mean increase of 0.45 food groups, 95% confidence interval 0.34–0.56) and meal frequency (mean increase of 0.75 meals per day, 95% confidence interval 0.53–0.96) components of MAD. This resulted in a 17% higher inferred prevalence of adequate diets for infants and young children via CATI. Women without mobile-phone access were younger and had fewer assets than women with access, but only marginally lower dietary diversity, resulting in a small non-coverage bias of 1–7% due to exclusion of participants without mobile phones. Thus, collecting nutrition data from rural women in Africa with mobile phones may result in 0% (no change) to as much as 25% higher nutrition estimates than collecting that information in face-to-face interviews.
Tag: communication
The Power of Television in Triggering Feedback through Mobile Phones
This study aimed at identifying innovative ways to reach farmers through testing the effectiveness of integrating TV and mobile phone technology in enhancing feedback mechanisms among smallholder farmers. The hypothesis was that the use of TV shows in providing agricultural information to farmers can trigger a high level of interest and feedback through mobile phone technology and hence can change attitudes, increase knowledge and change behavior leading to increased adoption of agricultural technologies.
Mainstreaming communication of adaptation to climate change: Some initiatives from Central Africa
Despite its low carbon emission, Africa is one of the regions most impacted by the adverse effects of climate change. Because of its impacts on health, infrastructure, settlements, agriculture and food security, and forest ecosystems, climate change is an additional burden to sustainable development in Central Africa. As such, there is an urgent need to transfer lifesaving information about the environment and especially the effects and adaptation to climate change in the region. However, in a region where there is still a relatively high incidence of illiteracy, very localized languages and dialects and remote settlements, communicating information can be a challenge. In addition, communication schools and journalists are insufficiently equipped to respond to this demand. A survey in Cameroon revealed that journalists are faced with some challenges (such as lack of training and lack of resource persons) in covering environment topics, especially those related to forest and climate change adaptation. In order to address these challenges and contribute to the improvement of the journalistic style of reporting topics on forest and climate change adaptation with more scientific knowledge and to create a stronger scientific base of event coverage, pilot capacity-building initiatives were initiated with the specific objectives as follows: (1) training of journalists during workshops; (2) fellowships award for research activities to communication master students; (3) mentoring of senior and junior journalists and (4) open reflection on how to mainstream forests and adaptation to climate change in curricula of communication schools in Central Africa. This last initiative of mainstreaming forests and adaptation to climate change in the school curricula was seen as a possible sustainable way to promote scientific and environmental communication in Central Africa. These activities initiated by CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research) under the framework of CoFCCA project (Congo Basin Forest and Climate Change Adaptation) were pilot initiatives aiming to inspire others on capacity building and research related to scientific and environmental communication in Central Africa.
PATSPO Newsletter December 2021
PATSPO Newsletter August 2021
PATSPO Newsletter April 2021
Drivers of transgression: What pushes people to enter protected areas
The establishment of protected areas is central to biodiversity conservation strategies. However, they often fail in meeting their expectations, especially in the tropics. One core reason for their failure is human pressure. Protected area transgression has tremendous impacts on biodiversity, but also on persecuted rule-breakers whose necessities are often ignored. Despite the increasing enforcement of strict protection rules, non-compliance is a phenomenon experienced in protected areas around the world. To improve biodiversity and social outcomes of any conservation intervention, we need to understand what drives transgressive behavior but also the gazettement of protected areas. By using a role-playing game with Indigenous people in the Colombian Amazon we were able to openly discuss transgression. In the game, park managers designed protected areas primarily for biodiversity conservation but also for restoration. Communication among stakeholders and a resource-abundant landscape were key to increase compliance without exerting enforcement while the violations history of the protected area as well as the abundance of resources within its boundaries encouraged transgression. To achieve voluntary compliance, we recommend to acknowledge transgression’s multidimensionality and integrate it into conservation planning.
PATSPO Communication Strategy
The PATSPO project is designed to ensure access to high quality seeds of the most important tree species used for forest landscape restoration and all other tree planting activities in Ethiopia. PATSPO is therefore necessary to achieve the ambitious restoration targets of Ethiopia’s ClimateResilient Green Economy Strategy.
Media Engagement in the Digital Era
Is engaging with the media a good idea for forestry organizations? Absolutely. But as with any aspect of communication, strategic assessment and planning are key. In this chapter, we provide you with foundational knowledge and guidance to help you navigate media ecosystems and decide why, when, and how to engage with journalists and editors to secure coverage that effectively communicates your desired message to your target audience via your preferred channels.
Case Studies – PREFACE
Repeated lessons learned included “use true and personal stories” and “bite-sized information;” have a “relatable tone;” and collaborate with others and “nurture alliances”. “Keep going and do not give up” was another theme. This chapter provides inspired reading from organizations communicating the frontline – from the forests of Italy, to the urban forests of New Jersey city Newark, to Goriški Kras forest, which experienced the largest fire in Slovenia’s history.